Where does “spear gun” come from?

spear gun (English) comes from English Spear, from Middle English spere, from Old French sphere, from Latin sphēra, from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα, from Ancient Greek -ειδής, from Ancient Greek -ής, from Proto-Indo-European -ēs — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

spear gun (English): A form of mechanical gun that fires a spear as a...

Definitions

  1. A form of mechanical gun that fires a spear as a...

Ancestry of “spear gun”, step by step

spear gun traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Spear

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSpearA long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion
2Middle EnglishspereA spear or lance; The Lance of Longinus; A barb...
3Old Frenchspheresphere shape
4Latinsphēra
5Ancient Greekσφαῖραball, globe, sphere
6Ancient Greek-ειδήςlike, connected to, from the nature of, full of;...
7Ancient Greek-ήςadjective suffix
8Proto-Indo-European-ēsPrimarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds
9Proto-Indo-European-ess
10Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

via English gun

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgunA device for projecting a hard object very...
2Middle EnglishgunneA trebuchet or similar kind of pellet-firing...
3Old NorseGunnhildr
4Old NorseGunnrbattle, war
5Old Norseguðrbattle, war
6Proto-Germanicgunþizbattle
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰéntisstriking, killing
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰen-to strike, slay, kill
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰon-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -osEvery word from Ancient Greek -ειδήςEvery word from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα